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“The Old Capitol Pu-erh starts off with a loamy dry smell in the bag. You’re settling in around the campfire with a trusted friend or two, and your butt’s going to be a little damp as you perch it...”
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“I am quite the gringo when it comes to pure pu-erh. I’ve had a few blends—with chocolate, coconut, spices, mate, chicory etc. thrown into the mix—but this offering from Tea Setter...”
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“I enjoyed drinking this very much – it was earthy but mild, and I was surprised that the flavor didn’t weaken with multiple steeps. It didn’t really smell like much in the bag....”
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From Tea Setter

This tea is an amazing value. A rich earthy flavor with just enough back-end sweetness to give it some serious dimension. The perfect every day pu-erh tea. Grown and processed in the Yunnan Province of China this tea has been aging since 2011.

4 Tasting Notes

The Old Capitol Pu-erh starts off with a loamy dry smell in the bag. You’re settling in around the campfire with a trusted friend or two, and your butt’s going to be a little damp as you perch it on the wet leaves from last night’s little thunderstorm. Not much to say for the steeped aroma, though.

The sip-’sation is a lot more subtle here. With that post-rain vibe, you’ve lost a lot of the smoke that characterizes most pu-erhs. This leaves you free to explore the other first-infusion flavors hidden in their bath of peachy rose. We’re talking Fuji apples sitting on a tray of balsa wood–light stuff, not the kind of tea you’d worry about when serving to friends. Tea Setter is hoping to bring less popular teas into the game, and for those of us who struggle to even say “pu-erh”–let alone steep it–this one is a good place to start.

I am quite the gringo when it comes to pure pu-erh. I’ve had a few blends—with chocolate, coconut, spices, mate, chicory etc. thrown into the mix—but this offering from Tea Setter is the real deal: pu-erh without any adulterants and flavors or bells and whistles.

It tastes pretty good and fortunately does not waft of horse manure, dirt, or wet hay. In fact, I am struck once again (as I was a while back when I drank another pure variety) by the impression that pu-erh can be used as a food surrogate because it feels as substantial as wheat bread! It does not really seem so much like a black tea to me, but I do see why people develop a passion for pu-erh. It seems like another sui generis beverage (which is how I feel about darjeeling, too, so pu-erh is in good company…).

I’ll continue to explore…

Flavors: Baked Bread

Preparation

Try one of the loose puerhs from Mandala Tea they are pretty good, at least the four or five I have tried have all been excellent. Don’t let the strong aroma of a good ripe puerh fool you, they can smell potent but taste nothing like the smell.